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The BCCI received the all-clear from the Indian Government to host IPL 2020 in the UAE, news which would no doubt excite fans of the tournament. While all eyes will be on their favourite stars, most of whom will be returning to action after a long gap, the IPL season will also see many young players make their debuts.
The aim of the IPL has always been to nurture young talent and this season is no different. Many exciting young players are waiting to kick-start their IPL careers this season. In this article, we will take a look at one uncapped player from each team to watch out for this season.
Criteria for choosing players- Players must be uncapped, and shouldn't have established themselves in their IPL career. Players like Nitish Rana, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shreyas Gopal have hence been excluded.
Note: Delhi Capitals doesn't have many uncapped players to use and those who are there in the side aren't likely to get much game time. Therefore, DC has been excluded.
Chennai Super Kings- R Sai Kishore
CSK hasn't given many opportunities to youngsters since the revamp before IPL 2018, and it's the more experienced players who get maximum game-time. But the franchise set out to add some youth to their squad roster this IPL and added young England all-rounder Sam Curran to their side. They also signed local talent R Sai Kishore for a mere ₹20 Lakh.
The young left-arm spinner had a brilliant domestic season in 2019-20 and has been a highly consistent performer in the TNPL. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in which TN finished runners-up, picking up 20 wickets in 12 matches, at an excellent economy rate of 4.63. He also delivered consistent performances in both the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy.
Given the number of quality spinners that the Super Kings possess, it's unlikely that Sai Kishore will get an opportunity first up. But the team management must try to give him some opportunities to showcase his skills, possibly if they qualify early for the playoffs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is another uncapped player from CSK who could shine if given the opportunity this IPL.
Kings XI Punjab- Ravi Bishnoi
The spin bowling department is the only area where Kings XI Punjab lacks big names, and this is a great opportunity for someone like Ravi Bishnoi. The 19-year-old leg-spinner finished as the highest wicket-taker in the U-19 World Cup 2019/20 with seventeen wickets in just six games at a stellar economy rate of 3.48.
He was signed by Kings XI Punjab for ₹2 Crore after a long bidding war with the Mumbai Indians. Punjab don't have many options to consider with Krishnappa Gowtham set to be the leader of their spin bowling attack.
Playing Mujeeb ur Rahman is a possibility, but it may prove to be difficult as it would make it tough to accommodate other overseas players in the side.
In such a case, the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin could get a lot of opportunities. The IPL has witnessed the rise of many talented leg-spinners such as Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, and Mayank Markande. With plenty of game time on the cards for Bishnoi, he could make a huge impact this IPL season.
Kolkata Knight Riders- M Siddharth/ Shivam Mavi
Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna was the first name in my mind when I thought about the uncapped talent in the KKR side, but the fact that he's played in 18 matches for the side in the last two seasons makes him fall outside the required criteria. Instead, Tamil Nadu's left-arm spinner M Siddharth and former U-19 star Shivam Mavi will be the ones to watch out for this season.
Siddharth made his debut for Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and impressed everyone by picking up twelve wickets in just five games at a miserly economy rate of 4.94. He could get some game time if KKR opt to play an extra spinner alongside Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav, and he's certainly one to watch out for.
Shivam Mavi played in IPL 2018 but was ruled out of IPL 2019 due to an injury. He made a good comeback in the Emerging Players Asia Cup and carried on the good form to the Ranji Trophy. If he manages to stay fit throughout the tournament, he could certainly create a huge impact.
Kamlesh Nagarkoti is another one to watch out for if he recovers from injury.
Mumbai Indians- Anukul Roy
Mumbai Indians have been an IPL side that has nurtured many young stars, with young leg-spinner Rahul Chahar becoming the latest talent to get a cap for the national side. This season though, the defending champions seem to be a little light in the spin bowling department. Though Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya are good spin bowling options, they do need good backup options for them, and one such player is former U-19 star, Anukul Roy.
The 20-year old all-round left-arm spinner was part of the Indian Team which won the U-19s World Cup in 2018. Roy finished as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with fourteen wickets in just six matches at an economy rate of 3.84. He has a good domestic record and is handy with the bat and economical with the ball.
While he isn't going to slot right into the playing XI, he's likely to get an opportunity if the team want to field an extra spinner.
Rajasthan Royals- Yashasvi Jaiswal
India U-19 star Yashasvi Jaiswal will be the one to watch out for in the Rajasthan Royals side. The 18-year old batsman was the highest run-scorer in the U-19s World Cup and was India's best player along with Ravi Bishnoi. His List A career got off to a brilliant start as well as he became the youngest cricketer to score a List A double-century when he smashed 203 runs off 154 balls against Jharkhand in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match.
Needless to say, there was a bidding war to sign him, but the Royals emerged victorious, signing him for ₹2.4 Crore. A lot will be expected of him this IPL season and, in the absence of Ajinkya Rahane, he could very well slot in at the top of the order from the start of the tournament.
Yashasvi's U-19 team-mate Kartik Tyagi and all-rounder Riyan Parag will be ones to look out for as well.
Royal Challengers Bangalore-
Devdutt Padikkal
Young Devdutt Padikkal grabbed many eyebalsl with his brilliant performances for Karnataka in the 19/20 domestic season. The 20-year old southpaw finished as the highest run-scorer for Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and was one of the main reasons for their victory in the tournament. He backed up that performance by finishing as the highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, scoring 580 runs in 12 matches, at a staggering strike-rate of 175.75.
Padikkal was part of RCB last season but didn't feature in a single game. While it'll be interesting to see how he slots into their packed top order, he deserves a place in the RCB playing XI, and he's certainly one to keep an eye on this IPL season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad- Virat Singh/ Priyam
Garg
Sunrisers Hyderabad kept a low profile in the IPL Auction 2020 and chose to bid for some young Indian talents in addition to the likes of Mitchell Marsh. It's those two youngsters who might have to bolster SRH's weak middle order this season.
Virat Singh, who SRH signed for ₹1.9 Crore, had a brilliant domestic season for Jharkhand and scored the most runs for them in all formats. He scored 335 runs in just 7 matches at a strike-rate of above 100 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, while making 342 runs at a strike-rate of 142.32 and an average of 57.16 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
He has an excellent technique and the right temperament to bat in the middle order and is likely to get a place in SRH's playing XI right from the start of the IPL season.
Priyam Garg, meanwhile, is more a top-order batsman but since SRH's top order is filled with IPL stars like David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, and Kane Williamson, Garg isn't likely to make it to the playing XI that soon. However, he's a great talent and will certainly flourish if given the chance.
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